Measuring device and method

ABSTRACT

The present invention encompasses a measuring tape for measuring the torso girth of a user, the tape comprising a separable fastening that, when fastened, creates a loop of tape that extends in use around the user&#39;s torso without support from the user&#39;s hands, a link co-operable with the tape allowing the circumference of the loop to be adjusted or varied when around the user&#39;s torso, and girth indicia co-operable with the link to indicate the circumference of the loop. The link maintains a securing tension on the loop to secure the loop around the torso but allows expansion of the loop when the user expands her torso during said measurement, and resists variation of the loop circumference when the fastening is unfastened after use. In this way, the circumference of the loop can be read by the user after use with reference to the girth indicia A method for measuring the torso girth of a user by means of the present invention is also contemplated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device and method of self-measurementfor the fitting of bras and other close-fitting clothing. In exemplaryembodiments, the invention relates to the accurate measurement of atorso underneath or around the breasts for the correct fitting of a bra.

In this specification, the term ‘bra’ will be used conveniently toencompass all clothing designed closely to fit a wearer's breasts, thusincluding other forms of lingerie such as body suits, as well asswimwear and other sportswear such as leotards. However, although braswill be referred to herein to exemplify the invention, the invention isnot limited to measurement of breast size for the purpose of fittingbras but instead enjoys wider application to other body measurement,especially around the torso at chest, waist or hip level, around theneck, or around the limbs.

It is important for a bra to fit correctly, not only for comfort, butbecause an ill-fitting bra can cause a variety of health problems,including muscle ache, irritable bowel syndrome and even spinalinjuries.

Unfortunately, bra fitting is bedevilled by problems, includingvariations in size, shape and disposition of the breasts, by theamorphous nature of the breasts themselves, and by the fact that manywomen are never measured for bra size, either professionally orotherwise. Nevertheless, when buying a bra, most women know fromprevious experience roughly the size that is required This is always anapproximation as changes in chest size, as well as changes to the sizeand shape of breasts, occur at different times during the menstrualcycle and as the years progress. Also, substantial and oftenirreversible changes in breast size and shape can occur during and afterpregnancy.

A typical way to chose a bra is either by choosing a favourite style ormake, regardless of the accuracy of the fit, or to try on a selection ofstyles in a range of sizes and makes. In this way, best fit isascertained by trial and error. Both processes take time, are dependenton available stock and do not always result in the purchase of aproperly fitting bra.

For women who are unsure of their size, some retail outlets provide abra measuring service whereby measurements are taken either with orwithout a bra being worn. Apart from the advantage of obtaining expertadvice or at least a second opinion as to fit, professional measuringservices have many drawbacks. For example, if the measurement is takenwith a bra on, there is the advantage that the breasts are supported butthe resulting measurement may be inaccurate if the bra is not anaccurate fit to start with. If the measurement is taken without a brabeing worn, the measurement will also be inaccurate since the breastsare unsupported and therefore are of a different shape and volumecompared to when they are supported.

The significance of support is that a breast is largely constituted offatty tissue having a resiliently compressible, gelatinous consistencywhose shape and volume will adapt to some extent to suit a receptaclesuch as a bra cup in which the breast is contained. When there is nosuch support, gravity will change both the shape and volume of thebreast, obviously with increasing effect the greater the size and weightof the breast.

Even a professional measuring service is not immune from the drawbackthat the accuracy of breast and torso measurement for fitting a bra willusually depend on the level of training and experience of the persondoing the measuring. It is also true that bra-fitting experts apply anelement of subjectivity to their work. The aim of such experts is not toarrive at a universal bra size measurement that the user can apply withconfidence to bras in general, but instead to fit the consumer to one ofthe bras available in stock, the purpose of measurement therefore beingto select a limited range of bras that the user can try on and selectfrom. Such trial and error is all well and good in a store environmentif the consumer has the time and inclination to visit the store, but itdoes not suit the mail order and Internet shopping methods that manyconsumers increasingly prefer.

A further problem with professional measuring services is that manywomen feel uncomfortable about being measured in a semi-naked state by astranger. As a result, the measurement/fitting may be hurried andincorrect advice given.

Self-measuring guides are therefore available. These generally involvemeasuring the circumference of the torso under the breasts to obtain atorso measurement, followed by taking a measurement across the breastsat the largest point, i.e. across the nipples in an ‘over-bust’measurement. Then, these measurements are put into a formula to work outa nominal torso and bra cup size. The bra cup size is related to torsosize and also to the difference between torso size and over-bustmeasurement. In other words, the difference between torso size andover-bust measurement imputes a cup size for a given torso size.However, the product of the formula is only as good as the measurementsthat are put into the formula, and unfortunately those measurements areoften inaccurate.

For example, as noted above, a certain level of expertise is required toachieve any degree of accuracy; one could hardly expect an inexpertwoman, usually working on her own, to match the accuracy of measurementof an experienced bra-fitter. In particular, it is difficult to be surethat a measuring tape is held at an appropriate tension and in thecorrect position, which is especially difficult to ascertain across theback, either with or without the aid of a mirror. Also, the cross-nippleor over-bust measurement introduces an inherent inaccuracy because itdoes not take proper account of the effect of the varying depth andwidth of the cleavage between the breasts. The measuring tape bridgesthe cleavage rather than following the contour, and so cannot accuratelytell if a particular apparent breast size is due to the degree ofseparation and protrusion of the breasts rather than the overall breastsize.

Furthermore, the final measurement will be dependent on the type of brabeing worn, it being noted that measurement often takes place whilewearing a bra and that different bras impose different shapes upon thebreasts that they support. A particular source of inaccuracy ariseswhere the bra is designed to flatten the breast or maximise cleavagebecause such distortion of the breasts gives a misleading over-bustmeasurement. In general, there is a tendency to overestimate torso sizeand to underestimate over-bust measurement: as cup size is imputed fromt he difference between those measurements and with regard to the torsosize, the combination or sum of errors in these critical measurementsmagnifies errors in apparent cup size.

Consequently, many women wear ill-fitting bras that are uncomfortableand provide insufficient support, which has adverse effects on postureand shape in later years. The correct fitting of a bra is especiallyimportant while breasts are developing during the teenage years andincorrect fitting during this time can lead to complications in lateryears.

Torso girth measurement is typically obtained by passing a tape measurearound the torso underneath the breasts, holding the tape measurebetween a finger and thumb, tensioning the tape until it feelscomfortably tight, and noting the resulting measurement. A fixed marginis added to the measurement to give the chest size required, addingfurther vagaries to the measurement. In the United Kingdom, such ameasurement is usually obtained in inches, while in Europe, centimetresare the common unit. In the UK imperial scale, bra chest sizes incrementin even-numbered two-inch steps e.g. 32 inches, 34 inches, 36 inches andso on. Accordingly, a margin of four inches (10 cm) is added if themeasured chest size is an even number and a margin of five inches (12.5cm) is added if the measured chest size is an odd number.

It will be appreciated that it is not easy to ensure that the tapemeasure is correctly aligned and indeed correctly tensioned. Nor is iteasy to handle a flexible tape measure whose overlapping ends must beheld accurately during measurement. In particular, difficulties ofreading from the scale of the tape measure are compounded by the use ofa mirror or, if direct viewing is attempted, by the presence of theuser's breasts, which tend to get in the way. In view of that, manywomen attempt to measure their torso size by pinching an overlappingportion of the tape measure between thumb and forefinger and keepinghold of the appropriate portion of the tape when the tape is removedfrom around the torso. There is a risk that the tape will slip in theuser's grasp during that movement and so give a false reading. There isalso the certainty that the width of the user's thumb and fingersprecludes a fully accurate measurement.

Alignment of a measuring tape is difficult to ascertain, and moredifficult to ensure. Checking alignment of the tape across one's backrequires peering into a mirror and this involves movement of the torsothat may in itself disturb correct alignment.

Tension in the tape around the torso is especially important yet moredifficult to gauge correctly: specifically, consistency of girthmeasurement is difficult to achieve when encircling a compressible bodysuch as a torso, especially when there is a significant depth of bodyfat. The problem is that pulling on a strap or tape to ensure that it istaut compresses the body encircled by the strap or tape, and so thegirth of the body will change as a result of the measurement process.This introduces self-defeating inaccuracy.

It has been shown that bras that fit too loosely around the torso do notproperly support the breasts, while bras that fit too tightly around thetorso compress the rib cage and diaphragm causing a number ofcomplications, including poor digestion and constipation. Unless a womanis being measured professionally, she is unlikely to know the requiredtension, and even professional measurers may have difficulty inachieving the correct tension. Indeed, it is customary for professionalmeasurers to tension a tape so it is tight around the woman's chest andthen to ask her to breathe in or raise her shoulders to expand herchest. This causes the tape to relax to an extent necessary to ensurecomfort in all modes of use. For the aforementioned reasons, this methodof measurement is difficult for a woman to perform on her own. It isalso difficult to perform objectively.

It is against this background that the present invention has been made.Accordingly, the invention aims to provide an accurate measurement of atorso which facilitates the selection of the correct bra size to suit anindividual's requirements. In this way, a measurement made by a woman inher own home will be as accurate as one made by a professional measurerin a retail outlet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

From one aspect, the invention encompasses a measuring tape formeasuring the girth of any part of a user's body and especially any partof the user's torso such as the waist, chest (including around theuser's breasts) or hips. In the example of torso measurement, the tapecomprises a separable fastening that, when fastened, creates a loop oftape that extends in use around the user's torso without support fromthe user's hands, a link co-operable with the tape allowing thecircumference of the loop to be adjusted or varied when around theuser's torso, and girth indicia co-operable with the link to indicatethe circumference of the loop, wherein the link maintains a securingtension on the loop to secure the loop around the torso but allowsexpansion of the loop when the user expands her torso during saidmeasurement, and resists variation of the loop circumference when thefastening is unfastened after use so that the circumference of the loopcan be read by the user after use with reference to the girth indicia.Thus, torso girth measurement is simple, quick, easy and accurate.

For simplicity and ease of manufacturing, it is preferred that the linkis integral with the fastening.

Whilst it is further preferred that the girth indicia are situated onthe tape, the link may be separate from the fastening and connected tothe fastening by a strip movable with respect to the link. In whichcase, the girth indicia, such as numerals, icons or colours, may besituated on the strip.

Advantageously, the link includes a display area, such as a window orcut-out, with which indicia can align to be displayed. It will beapparent that the size and shape of the display area will be tailored toallow the whole indicia to be displayed. For example, a window may berectangular or oval in shape.

It is further preferred that the link is a slipping link that allowsslippage of the tape to allow expansion of the loop while maintainingthe securing tension, but grips the tape to an extent necessary toprevent slippage of the tape when the fastening is unfastened after use.This allows the user to adjust the tape without having to hold itherself under the correct tension.

Conveniently, the slipping link includes a holding bar around which thetape is looped and one or more gripping formations bearing upon the tapelooped around the bar. In this way, the tape follows a tortuous path andis restricted from slipping by friction between the holding bar, the oneor more gripping formations and the tape.

Optionally, the link may be a store of tape that retracts tape oncontraction of the loop and pays out tape on expansion of the loop. Itis advantageous if the store of tape is a reel biased to retract thetape. Such an embodiment allows the tape to be stored compactlypredisposing it, for example, for multiple use by a professionalmeasurer in a retail outlet, or to be sent by mail for an individual touse in the comfort of her own home.

In a further embodiment, or in addition, the link may be adapted forindexible movement of the tape between discrete detent positions. Thedetent positions ideally correspond to the spacing between successiveindicia Indexing movement may be achieved by a notch and tootharrangement, a sprung arm or pawl mechanism, for example.

In order to gauge accurately when the correct tension in the loop hasbeen reached, a further advantage is seen if the tape includes a tensionindicator for indicating tension in the loop.

In a preferred embodiment, the tension indicator comprises first andsecond parts linked by resilient bias means for relative movementagainst bias when the loop is under circumferential tension.Advantageously, a visual indicator responsive to the extent of saidrelative movement is included. It will be appreciated that the resilientbias means may be in the form of a tension spring or any other suitablemeans.

Preferably, the visual indicator comprises tension indicia associatedwith one of said parts of the tension indicator being relatively movableinto alignment with a window, cut-out or indicating indicia on the otherof said parts of the tension indicator. For clear instructions to theuser, the tension indicator indicia may be in the form of confirmatoryindicia, such as a tick and/or green colour.

Advantageously, the tension indicia is situated on a portion of tapeattached to one of said parts of the tension indicator.

From another aspect, the invention resides in a method for measuring thegirth of any part of a user's body, especially any part of the user'storso such as the waist, chest (including around the user's breasts) orhips. In the example of torso measurement, the method comprisesfastening a loop of tape around the user's torso without support fromthe user's hands, creating and maintaining a securing tension on theloop to secure the loop around the torso, permitting expansion of theloop when the user expands her torso during said measurement,unfastening the loop while maintaining the loop circumference, andreading the circumference of the loop after use.

Preferably, the method further comprises viewing a visual indication ofthe tension in the loop and advantageously further comprises the step ofresponding to the visual indication by adjusting the tension in the loopto achieve an indicated predetermined tension.

References in this specification to any part of the user's body are tobe construed broadly as encompassing the neck and limbs as well as partsof the user's torso.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be more easily understood, referencewill now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a first embodiment of theinvention, showing the clasp portions connected (FIG. 1A) anddisconnected (FIG. 1B);

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section view along line II—II of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment that worksin a manner akin to the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section view along line V—V of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspective views of a fourth embodiment of theinvention, showing the clasp portions connected (FIG. 6A) anddisconnected (FIG. 6B);

FIGS. 7A and 7B are perspective views of a fifth embodiment of theinvention, being an exploded view (FIG. 7A) and an assembled view (FIG.7B);

FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D are perspective views of a sixth embodiment ofthe invention, FIG. 8A showing the strap fastened around a user's torso,FIG. 8B showing the strap being tensioned, FIG. 8C showing the tensionincreasing to a predetermined level and FIG. 8D showing the strapunfastened while displaying the measured torso girth;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are longitudinal cross-section views along line IX—IX ofFIGS. 8B and 8C showing how tension indicating means act during theincreasing tension illustrated in FIGS. 8B and 8C;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a seventh embodiment of theinvention; and

FIG. 11 is a detail plan view of an eighth embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring firstly to FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B and FIG. 2, a torso measuringdevice 1 has a torso strap 2 just over 1 meter in length. The strap 2bears indicia 3 marked, for example by printing or stamping, at regularintervals along part or all of the length of the strap 2. The indicia 3represent a scale that runs from one end of the strap 2 towards theother.

A clasp 4 comprises two interconnecting portions, namely a male portion5 and a female portion 6, both of which are attached to respectiveportions of the strap 2. The male portion 5 is slidably attached to anintermediate portion of the strap 2 whereas the female portion 6 isfixed to an opposed end of the strap 2.

The male portion 5 of the clasp 4 is moulded to incorporate a resilienttongue 7, a window 8, a holding bar 9 disposed below the window 8, agripping formation 10 opposed to the holding bar 9, and two lugs 11, onedisposed each side of the tongue 7. As best shown in the cross-sectionalview of FIG. 2, the strap 2 loops back on itself within the male portion5. Specifically, the strap 2 enters the male portion 5 via a distalaperture 12, loops around the holding bar 9, between the holding bar 9and the gripping formation 10, and back out through the distal aperture12. Between them, the holding bar 9 and the gripping formation 10provide sufficient friction to hold together the male portion 5 and thestrap 2 when the strap 2 is under overall tension but allow the strap 2to slip within the male portion 5 when a free end 13 of the strap 2 ispulled.

It will be noted that when the strap 2 is threaded within the maleportion 5 as described, the holding bar 9 acts as a platen that supportsa portion of the strap 2 for viewing through the window 8. In use, theappropriate indicia 3 can be read off by looking in the window 8.

The female portion 6 is moulded to complement the male portion 5 and hasa hole 14 that receives an enlarged free end of the interconnectingtongue 7 in a snap-fit arrangement when the male and female portions 5,6 are brought together and the former is inserted into the latter. Thelugs 11 of the male portion 5 locate within corresponding recesses 16moulded in the female portion 6. To disconnect the two portions, theenlarged free end of the tongue 7 protruding within the hole 14 isdepressed and pushed clear of the female portion 6.

A fixing bar 17 within a distal aperture 18 of the female portion 6fixes an end of the strap 2 to the female portion 6. As shown in FIG. 2,that end of the strap 2 loops around the fixing bar 17 and can simply besewn or bonded back on itself to secure the loop.

In use of the measuring device 1, the strap 2 is passed around theuser's torso and underneath the breasts in such a way that the clasp 4can be fastened at the front of the user's torso. Once fastened in thisway, the free end 13 of the strap 2 protruding from the male portion 5is pulled away from the clasp 4 until the strap 2 is tensioned tightlyaround the torso. The tension on the strap 2 is then increased by theuser expanding her rib cage, for example by taking in a large breath.This causes the strap 2 to slide over the holding bar 9 so that the loopof strap 2 around the user's torso is allowed to lengthen to an extentnecessary to ensure a comfortable fit of a bra in all modes of use. Thatdone, the clasp 4 is unfastened, the strap 2 is removed from around thetorso and the indicia 3 on the strap 2 shown in the window 8 of the maleportion 5 is noted.

In this way, the measuring device 1 makes torso girth measurementsimple, quick, easy and accurate. The user merely has to fasten togetherthe two portions of the clasp 4 and then has both hands free to adjustthe alignment of the strap 2 around the torso, to tension itappropriately and to make sure that the alignment of the strap 2 remainscorrect while the torso is expanded. The measuring device 1 isconfigured to maintain an appropriate degree of tension throughout themeasuring process, even through the slippage necessary to allow torsoexpansion.

Referring now to FIG. 3 of the drawings, the second embodiment showntherein has features akin to those of the first embodiment and so likenumerals will be used for like parts. The clasp 4 shown in FIG. 3 has agenerally flat, oblong male portion 5 moulded to define a holding bar 9around which the strap 2 is looped and tensioned with the aid ofgripping formations 10 on each side of the holding bar 9, as indicatedby the adjacent arrows. Unlike the first embodiment, the indicia 3 (notshown) on the strap 2 are not read through a window but merely where thestrap 2 is exposed as it passes over the holding bar 9.

The tongue 7 is integral to the male portion 5 and includes a raisedconvex button 15 corresponding to the enlarged portion of the tongue 7of the first embodiment. The tongue 7 is resiliently movable in relationto the reminder of the male portion 5 by virtue of a U-shaped slot 19penetrating the male portion 5. The button 15 locates within a hole 13of the female portion 6 as will be explained.

The female portion 6 has a base 20 to which a lid 21 is integrallyattached by a flexible web 22 acting as a hinge, the female portion 6being completed by closing the lid 21 over the base 20 as indicated bythe arrow. The lid 21 is held closed by a snap-fit between co-operatingelongate lip and recess formations 23, 24 on the lid 21 and thecorresponding part of the base 20. The lid 21 includes a hole 13 throughwhich the button 15 on the tongue 7 protrudes when the male and femaleportions 5, 6 are connected together, to which end the base 20 includesa channel 25 for receiving the proximal end 26 of the male portion 5,including the tongue 7.

The channel 25 terminates in a transverse partition 27 upstanding fromthe base 20, on the other side of which is a fixing pillar 28 alsoupstanding from the base 20. The end of strap 2 to be connected to thefemale portion 6 has a fixing hole 29 that receives the fixing pillar28, as indicated by the adjacent arrow. The strap 2 is secured withinthe female portion 6 when the lid 21 is snap-fitted closed onto the base20, with the fixing pillar 28 held within the fixing hole 29.

A third embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.FIG. 4 shows a measuring device 1 with a clasp which is similar to theclasp 4 shown in FIG. 3. Again, therefore, like numerals are used forlike parts. It will be noted in particular that the female portion 6 isidentical to the female portion 6 of FIG. 3 (save that the lid 21 isclosed onto the base 20) and that the proximal end 26 of the maleportion 5, with its integral tongue 7 and button 15, is the same as thecorresponding part in FIG. 3. As best shown in the cross-sectional viewof FIG. 5, the first end of the strap 2 is anchored within the femaleportion 6 in the same manner as the embodiment of FIG. 3.

In the third embodiment, the male portion 5 of the clasp 4 is defined bya first end of a semi-rigid strip 30 that passes slidably through asleeve 32 to which the second end of the strap 2 is fixed. As shown incross-section in FIG. 5, the second end of the strap 2 is looped arounda fixing bar 17 in a distal aperture 33 in the sleeve 32, akin to thefixing bar 17 shown in FIG. 2. The strip 30 also extends through thisdistal aperture 33.

The sleeve 32 includes a window 8 and indicia 3 are marked at regularintervals along the strip 30 instead of the strap 2, so that appropriateindicia 3 will be displayed in accordance with the position of the strip30 with respect to the sleeve 32. This accords to the size of the loopdefined by the strap 2 and the portion of the strip 30 protrudingproximally from the sleeve 32.

The measuring device 1 of the third embodiment is used in much the sameway as described above, in that the strap 2 is passed around the torsoand underneath the breasts so the clasp 4 is fastened at the front ofthe user's torso. The strip 30 is pulled in the direction shown by thearrow until the strap 2 is tensioned tightly around the torso. Asbefore, the tension is increased by expanding the rib cage, causing thestrip 30 to slide proximally within the sleeve 32. The final torso girthmeasurement is read through the window 8 in the sleeve 32 once the clasp4 has been undone.

A fourth embodiment of the measuring device, as shown in FIGS. 6A and6B, has a clasp 4 that works like the clasp 4 shown in FIG. 1, in that atongue 7 and lugs 11 co-operate with a corresponding hole 14 andrecesses 16 when the male and female portions 5, 6 are fastenedtogether. However, a strip 30 is fixed inside the male portion 5 byfixing means (not shown) that can, for example, correspond to the fixingbar 17 shown in the female portion 6 in FIG. 2.

As with the measuring device 1 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, indicia 3 borneby the strip 30 are read through a window 8 in a sleeve 32 within whichthe strip 30 can slide. However, the strip 30 and the sleeve 32 of FIGS.6A and 6B include the further refinement of detent means that encourageindexible movement of the strip 30 in relation to the sleeve 32.Specifically, in the embodiment shown, the strip includes transversenotches 34 that temporarily and resiliently interlock with correspondingtooth formations (not shown) inside the sleeve 32. In this way, thestrip 30 slides in a stepwise manner through the sleeve 32 so that thestrip 30 rests at predetermined equi-spaced positions. This ensures thatthe indicia 3 of the strip 30 are displayed in their entirety, ratherthan partially, within the window 8 in the sleeve 32. So, for example,where the indicia 3 is a series of numerals, the measurement is alwaysexpressed within the window 8 as a whole numeral rather than as aportion of a numeral, which could be unreadable.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the notch andtooth arrangement may take many forms, such as a sprung arm or pawlmechanism.

In a fifth embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A and B, the strap 2 is stored ina coil around a central spindle 35 within a housing 36 that emulates aretractable tape measure. Indeed, the spindle 35 includes spring means(not shown) for retracting a length of strap 2 deployed from the housing36. The spindle 35 is capped by a button 37 which, when depressed, locksthe strap 2 by engaging a ratchet mechanism (not shown) and prevents thestrap 2 from being lengthened or retracted. The strap 2 is unlocked bytugging the free end of the strap 2 sharply away from the housing 36 tounlock the ratchet mechanism.

While one end of the strap 2 is fixed to the spindle 35, the other endof the strap 2 has a locating means in the form of a cylindrical peg 38.This peg 38 slots into a correspondingly-shaped groove 39 in the housing36. The groove 39 is disposed at one end of a generally flat orshallowly concave surface 40 of the housing 36, the other end of whichhas an opening 41 communicating with the interior of the housing 36,through which the strap 2 passes on its way to and from the spindle 35.This surface 40 of the housing 36 lies against the user's torso in useof the measuring device 1.

To use the measuring device 1 of FIGS. 7A and B, the strap 2 is pulledout of the housing 36 through the opening 41 and passed around the torsoand underneath the breasts. The peg 38 is slotted into the correspondinggroove 39 against the retracting tension generated by the sprung spindle35 and the strap 2 is further lengthened by the user expanding her ribcage. When the user's rib cage has been expanded to a suitable degree,the button 37 is depressed, locking the strap 2 at the length to whichit has been extended. The peg 38 is removed from the groove 39 so thatthe measuring device 1 can be removed from the torso, and theappropriate indicia 3 borne by the strap 2 is read through a window 8 inthe housing 36.

The measuring device 1 can easily be stored by pulling on the strap 2 torelease the ratchet and thereby to allow the spring tension of thespindle 35 to retract the strap 2 into the housing 36. The peg 38 islarger than the opening 41 and so prevents the free end of the strap 2from disappearing irretrievably into the housing 36.

The sixth embodiment of the invention, shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D, 9Aand 9B includes an indicator that tells the user when the correcttension has been applied to the strap 2. As before, the measuring device1 comprises a torso strap 2 with indicia 3 and a clasp 4 having a maleportion 5 and a female portion 6. The male portion 5 has a resilientlyflexible tongue 7 having a protruding button 15 that engages within ahole 14 in the female portion 6, and a window 8 through which girthindicia 3 on the strap 2 may be read. Also, as shown in the sectionalviews of FIGS. 9A and 9B, the strap 2 is looped around a holding bar 9inside the male portion 6. The holding bar 9 lies behind the window 8where it is hidden by the strap 2, and interacts with grippingformations 10 defined by the opposed sides of the window aperture 8. Inthis way tension is maintained in the strap 2 but the strap 2 can slidewithin and with respect to the male portion 5 under pressure of anexpanding torso.

The female portion 6 is in two main parts, namely a body 42 and acarriage 43 that are movable longitudinally with respect to each other.The body 42 is fixed to an end of the strap 2 by the fixing pillar 28shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, which pillar 28 is situated some distance infrom the end of the body 42, and the carriage 43 defines the hole 14that, in use, receives the button 15 on the tongue 7 of the male portion6. The body 42 is generally of U-section and the carriage 43 isgenerally of T-shape, and the parts are assembled such that the stem 44of the T-shaped carriage 43 is embraced by the arms 45 of the U-sectionbody 42. Sliding movement between the body 42 and the carriage 43 ispossible along the longitudinal axis defined by the stem 44 of theT-shaped carriage 43 and is effected by means of co-operatinginterlocking slider formations 46 on the carriage 43 and in the body 42,the stem 44 of the carriage 43 sliding within the arms 45 of the body42.

The longitudinal axis defined by the stem 44 of the carriage 43 isaligned with the strap 2. It will therefore be evident that when thestrap 2 is under tension and the male and female portions 5, 6 arefastened together in use, the female portion 6 defined by the assemblyof the body 42 and the carriage 43 tends to extend in length. Thisextension can be appreciated by comparing the clasp 4 in FIGS. 8B and8C.

Referring now also to the sectional detail views of the female portion 6in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the stem 44 of the carriage 43 overlies the centralportion of the U-section body and conceals a tension spring 47 that isanchored at one end to a first pillar 48 moulded integrally with thecarriage 43 and a second pillar 49 moulded integrally with the body 42.The tension spring 47 stretches as the female portion 6 extends undertension from the strap 2 as aforesaid, and biases the female portion 6closed when strap tension is released.

As mentioned, the carriage 43 defines the hole 14 that, in use, receivesthe button 15 on the tongue 7 of the male portion 5 when the male andfemale portions 5, 6 of the clasp 4 are fastened together. This hole 14is situated at the intersection between the stem 44 and cross-bar 50 ofthe T-shaped carriage 43. The carriage 43 also includes a window 51through which tension indicia 52 on the strap 2 may be read, the tensionindicia 52 extending from the end of the strap 2 that is fixed to thefixing pillar 49 in the body part 42 of the female portion 6, or beingsituated near the end of that strap 2. Thus, as the female portion 6expands in use and hence the carriage 43 slides with respect to the body42, the window 51 defined by the carriage 43 traverses the short portionof the strap 2 that is situated between the fixing pillar 49 and the endof the body 42, and either traverses an array of tension indicia 52extending along that portion of the strap 2 or aligns with tensionindicia 52 spaced from the end of the strap 2.

The elongation characteristic of the spring 47 is selected so that whenthe load reaches a predetermined level corresponding to a tension withinthe strap 2 that is deemed to be consistent with comfort, the window 51is aligned with specific tension indicia 52 to indicate this comfortpoint to the user. Accordingly, when the strap 2 has been fastenedaround the user's torso and placed under appropriate tension, theindicia 52 confirms that there is comfortable tension in the device 1 asa whole.

The measuring device 1 of FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D, 9A and 9B is used inmuch the same way as the measuring devices of the preceding Figures. Thestrap 2 is passed around the torso and underneath the breasts, the clasp4 is fastened at the front of the user and the device 1 is looselytensioned by pulling the free end 13 of the strap 2 away from the maleportion 5 of the clasp 4. Once the device 1 is loosely tensioned, theuser breathes normally while gently pulling on the free end 13 until thetension indicia 52 shown in window 51 indicates that the correct tensionhas been reached. Once this point is reached, the user stops tensioningthe strap 2 (which is then held by friction by the holding bar 9 in themale portion 5 of the clasp 4), releases the clasp 4 and reads theindicia 3 indicated in window 8. In this way, the rib cage is notexpanded to an arbitrary degree and the comfort of the torso strap 2 canbe ascertained while the chest is in a normal state.

The tension indicia 52 may be in the form of confirmatory indicia, suchas a tick () and/or green colour. If the strap 2 is tensioned tootightly, the indicia 52 may change from being confirmatory toinhibitory, for example by way of a cross (X) and/or red colour.Alternatively, the female portion 6 may include a stop (not shown) whichprevents the strap 2 from being pulled any tighter.

In addition to ensuring comfort, the device illustrated in thisembodiment very simply provides consistency of girth measurement that isdifficult to achieve when encircling a compressible body such as atorso. As mentioned above, the problem is that pulling on a strap 2 toensure that it is taut compresses the body encircled by the strap 2, andso the girth of the body will change as a result of the measurementprocess. This introduces self-defeating inaccuracy unless a consistentdegree of compression is created and allowed for. The device alsoconsiders and takes into account the effect of bra elasticity, therebyensuring the comfort and support required of a bra.

However, it will be appreciated that the body 42 and carriage 43 may beembodied in different forms, for example as shown in FIG. 10. While theU- and T-shapes of the body 42 and carriage 43 in FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D,9A and 9B are simple to manufacture, assemble and use, there is a smallrisk that the user's flesh may become trapped between the moving parts,thus pinching the user in a potentially sensitive place. Therefore, theseventh embodiment, shown in FIG. 10, is designed to alleviate thisproblem.

FIG. 10 shows a measuring device 1 with a clasp 4 that is similar to theclasp shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D, 9A and 9B. As before, like numeralsare used for like parts. It will be noted that the male portion 5 isakin to the male portion 5 of FIG. 8, having a resiliently flexibletongue 7 with a protruding button 15 that engages within a hole 14 inthe female portion 6, two lugs 11 disposed one each side of the tongue 7and a window 8 through which girth indicia 3 on the torso strap 2 may beread. As in the sixth embodiment, the strap 2 is fixed around a fixingbar (not shown) located behind the window 8 inside the male portion 5.Tension in the strap 2 is maintained by gripping formations 10 definedby opposite sides of the window aperture.

Like the sixth embodiment, the female portion 6 of the seventhembodiment has a body 42 and a carriage 43 that are movablelongitudinally with respect to each other. However, in the seventhembodiment, the body 42 is in two parts having a base 54 and a lid 55that, when assembled, surround the carriage 43, being held together bytabs 56 extending from the lid 55 that snap-fit into slots 57 in thebase 54. The base 54 and the lid 55 comprise co-operating peripheralwalls 58 defining respective hollow interiors divided by a transversepartition 27 upstanding from the base. Thus, when assembled by snap-fitas described, the base 54 and lid 55 define two cavities disposedend-to-end, divided by the partition. The first of these cavities 59 isadapted to receive the proximal end of the male portion S (i.e. thetongue 7 flanked by the two lugs 11), with an enlarged button 15 on thefree end of the tongue 7 engaging within the hole 14. The second ofthese cavities 60 is adapted to receive, house and support the carriage43 for reciprocal movement within that second cavity 60.

The first cavity 59 includes a pair of longitudinal partitions 61 alsoupstanding from the base 54 that, together with the opposed part of theperipheral wall 58, define respective channels 62 for receiving therespective lugs 11 on the male portion 5. The gap between the partitionsdefines an aperture 63 that receives the tongue 7 of the male portion 5.

The second cavity 60 also has a pair of longitudinal partitions 64upstanding from the base 64, in this case defining a centrallongitudinal groove 65 extending along the length of the second cavity60. The longitudinal groove 65 receives a compression spring 66 actingon the carriage 43 and the body 42 and, together with the partitions 64,co-operates with guide formations 67 on the carriage 43 so as to guideits reciprocal movement with respect to the body 42.

The carriage 43 is shaped to fit within the second cavity 60 and isgenerally flat and oblong, save for the aforementioned guide formations67 on a first face of the carriage and a pair of fixing pillars 28upstanding from each corner of the proximal end on a second opposed face69 of the carriage, namely the face facing the lid 55 of the body 42.The fixing pillars 28 are received within corresponding holes 29 at theend of the strap 2 to be connected to the female portion 6: the end ofthe strap 2 is surrounded by a crimped metal reinforcement 70 to preventthe strap 2 tearing around the holes 29. When the strap 2 is secured tothe fixing pillars 28 in this way, the strap 2 is secured within thebody 42 when the lid 55 is snap-fitted closed onto the base 54.

The guide formations 67 on the first face of the carriage 43, the facethat faces the base 54 of the body 42, comprise two longitudinal flanges71 and a transverse projection 72. The longitudinal flanges 71 extendalong the length of the carriage 43 and, on assembly, slidingly embracethe pair of longitudinal partitions 64 that define the central groove65. The transverse projection 72 depends from the proximal end of thecarriage 43 and is shaped to fit closely into the central groove 65. Acompression spring 66 lying in the central groove 65 acts between theprojection 72 and a closed distal end 73 of the groove 65. The closedend 73 of the groove 65 co-operates with the spring 66 to prevent thecarriage 43 being pulled out of and disconnected from the body 42.

When the device 1 is fastened around the user's torso by inserting themale portion 5 into the female portion 6, it will be noted that a distalextension 74 of the female portion 6 extends behind the window part 8 ofthe male portion 5. As such, the distal extension 74 lies between theuser's torso and the portion of the strap 2 that is threaded into themale portion 5. In this way, the distal extension 74 prevents thatportion of the strap 2 pinching the user's flesh as the strap 2 moveswith respect to the male portion 5. It will also be noted that the freeend of the distal extension terminates in an enlarged lip 75. When theclasp 4 is fastened together, this lip 75 bears against the portion ofthe strap 2 threaded into the male portion 5 to resist slippage of thestrap 2 with respect to the male portion 5.

In use, when the strap 2 is under tension, the strap 2 causes thecarriage 43 to slide with respect to the body 42 against the bias of thecompression spring 66 until indicia 52 on the end of the strap 2 alignswith a window 51 in the lid 55 of the body 42 to indicate the tension inthe strap 2. As described for the tension spring 47 in the sixthembodiment, the compression characteristic of the compression spring 66in the seventh embodiment is selected so that when the compressionreaches a predetermined level corresponding to a tension within thestrap 2 that is deemed to be consistent with comfort, the window 51 isaligned with specific tension indicia 52 to indicate this comfort point.As FIG. 10 shows, the indicia 52 can comprise inhibitory indicia 76, inthis case in the form of arrows, on each side of confirmatory indicia77, in this case in the form of a tick. The arrows 76 indicate thedirection in which the strap 2 must move in order to display the tick77, thereby to confirm that there is comfortable tension in the deviceas a whole.

As has been made clear, the measuring tape of the invention has wideapplication in that it can be used to measure the circumference ofdifferent parts of the body. This presents a challenge in variants ofthe invention that employ a tension indicator, because the tensiondeemed to be correct for measuring one part of the body might bedifferent to that deemed to be correct for measuring another part of thebody. Accordingly, the tension indicators may be adapted to indicatedifferent levels of tension as being correct. There are two principalways of doing so.

One way of adapting a tension indicator to indicate different levels oftension is to have a series of indicia corresponding to successivelyincreasing or decreasing tensions (for example, different lengths of thespring), each of the indicia being marked as appropriate. Preferably,the indicia represent the part of the body for which the correspondingtensions are appropriate, such as the words ‘chest’, ‘neck’, ‘arm’ or‘leg’, or associated pictograms.

Another way of adapting a tension indicator to indicate different levelsof tension is to change the characteristics of the spring so thatdifferent tensions display the same indicia. For example, the effectivelength of the spring can be varied so that different tensions result inthe same extension. This can be achieved by providing one or more pawlsthat selectably engage the spring, the or each pawl being movableinwardly from beside the spring to lie between successive coils of thespring when selected. The or each pawl can be moved inwardly intoengagement with the spring by one or more user-operable push-buttons onthe housing that surrounds the spring. In this way, when selected bypressing a corresponding button, a pawl prevents extension of the partof the spring blocked by the pawl, while allowing the remainder of thespring to extend, thus shortening the effective length of the spring.

Where a plurality of pawls are provided, these may be spaced along thelength of the spring so that each represents a different effectivespring length, each being selectable by pressing a respective button.Again, preferably, the buttons have associated indicia representing thepart of the body for which the corresponding tensions are appropriate,such as the words ‘chest’, ‘neck’, ‘arm’ or ‘leg’, or associatedpictograms. When it is desired to change the effective spring length, abutton can be pulled out to disengage its pawl from the spring andanother button pushed in, or the spring can be left with its fulleffective length by leaving all pawls disengaged.

In general, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the presentinvention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing fromits spirit or essential attributes. For example, while it is preferredthat the strap 2 is made from extruded plastics, it may be manufacturedfrom other suitable materials including fabric. Such plastics or fabricsmay be elastic and/or of non-slip characteristics.

It will be appreciated that the attachment of the strap 2 to the maleand female portions 5, 6 of the clasp 4 need not necessarily be in theorder described. Also, although not ideal, the clasp 4 may be done upbehind the user's back.

It will also be clear to those skilled in the art that an elastic bandor other resilient bias means could be used in place of a spring.

Also, the indicia 3 are generally shown as being numeric in thepreceding Figures. However, the numerals need not correspond to anyspecific units, such as inches or centimetres. Furthermore, colours,characters or icons could be used in place of numerals. For example, theindicia could be a series of coloured regions, each colour correspondingto a particular torso size. Intermediate regions of the sequence may bea combination of colours in the neighbouring blocks, e.g. red, red/bluestripes, blue.

It is notable in this respect that colour-based indicia will work wellwhether viewed over one's shoulder with one or two mirrors or fromabove. Conversely, numerals or other characters would only work properlywhen viewed with two mirrors or with a device that is fastened at thefront of the user, because unless themselves expressed in mirrorwriting, numerals depend upon the mirror-image reversal of one mirror tobe corrected by the other mirror.

An example of a torso strap suitable for rear fastening and having acolour scale is illustrated in the eighth embodiment of the inventionshown in FIG. 11. The device 1 comprises opposed first and second strapportions 78, 79 whose ends can be fastened together by hook-and-eye padssuch as Velcro® 80 when the ends are in overlapping relation as shown.The strap portions 78, 79 have indicia 81, in this case a series ofcoloured rectangles disposed along the first strap portion 78, that canbe read by a user to indicate the length of the fastened strap 2 when arectangle 81 is aligned with the free end of the second strap portion79.

FIG. 11 shows a technique for colouring an intermediate block among theindicia 81. This is to divide such a block into two regions, the colourof each region corresponding to the colour of each respectiveneighbouring block. This can be achieved in different ways, one way(shown by block 82 in FIG. 11) being to divide the block into oblonghalves divided by a longitudinal border and another way (shown by block83 in FIG. 11) being to divide the block into triangular halves dividedby a diagonal border. An advantage of the latter arrangement is that theproportion of one colour to another exposed in use varies in accordancewith the longitudinal relative positions of the strap portions 78, 79.

One of the strap portions 79 is itself divided into portions. Theselatter portions will be described as upper and lower portions 84, 85 inthis instance because these portions, too, overlap, albeit in a mannerthat permits the upper portion 84 to slide over the lower portion 85.The lower portion 84 is marked with a rectangular indicator 86 and theupper portion 84 is penetrated by a rectangular window 87 of similarsize through which the whole of the indicator 86 can be viewed when thewindow 87 and the indicator 86 are aligned with each other. When thewindow 87 and the indicator 86 are slightly misaligned, only part of theindicator 86 is visible in the window 87 together with some neighbouringbackground of the lower portion 85. This indicates the direction ofrelative movement necessary to achieve proper alignment.

The free end of the upper portion 84 is linked to an intermediate partof the lower portion 85 by a spring 88 that transmits a tensile loadfrom the upper portion 84 to the lower portion 85 when the second strapportion 79 is pulled taut. The spring 88 acts in the same way asdescribed for the sixth embodiment of the invention, namely that whenthe load reaches a predetermined level corresponding to a tension withinthe second strap portion 79 that is deemed to be consistent withcomfort, the indicator 86 is aligned with the window 87 to indicate thiscomfort point to the user.

Although shown in FIG. 11 with the free ends of the straps 78, 79 fixedto one another by hook-and-eye pads such as Velcro® 80, those skilled inthe art will see how a slipping link or fastening of the type describedin any of the preceding Figures can be applied to the strap of FIG. 11.

In view of these and other variants, reference should be made to theappended claims and other general or conceptual statements herein ratherthan to the foregoing specific description as indicating the scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A measuring tape for measuring the girth of anypart of a user's body, the tape comprising a separable fastening that,when fastened, creates a loop of tape that extends in use around theuser's body part without support from the user's hands, a linkco-operable with the tape allowing the circumference of the loop to beadjusted or varied when around the user's body part, and girth indiciaco-operable with the link to indicate the circumference of the loop,wherein the link maintains a securing tension on the loop to secure theloop around the body part but allows expansion of the loop when the userexpands his or her body part during said measurement, and resistsvariation of the loop circumference when the fastening is unfastenedafter use so that the circumference of the loop can be read by the userafter use with reference to the girth indicia.
 2. A measuring tape asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the link is integral with the fastening. 3.A measuring tape as claimed in claim 1, wherein the girth indicia aresituated on the tape.
 4. A measuring tape as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe link is separate from the fastening and is connected to thefastening by a strip movable with respect to the link, the girth indiciabeing situated on the strip.
 5. A measuring tape as claimed in claim 1,wherein the link includes a display area with which indicia can align tobe displayed.
 6. A measuring tape as claimed in claim 5, wherein thedisplay area is a window or cut-out.
 7. A measuring tape as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the link is a slipping link that allows slippage of thetape to allow expansion of the loop while maintaining the securingtension, but grips the tape to an extent necessary to prevent slippageof the tape when the fastening is unfastened after use.
 8. A measuringtape as claimed in claim 7, wherein the slipping link includes a holdingbar around which the tape is looped and one or more gripping formationsbearing upon the tape looped around the bar.
 9. A measuring tape asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the link is a store of tape that retractstape on contraction of the loop and pays out tape on expansion of theloop.
 10. A measuring tape as claimed in claim 9, wherein the store oftape is a reel biased to retract the tape.
 11. A measuring tape asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the link is adapted for indexible movementof the tape between discrete detent positions.
 12. A measuring tape asclaimed in claim 11, wherein the detent positions correspond to thespacing between successive indicia.
 13. A measuring tape as claimed inclaim 1, further including a tension indicator for indicating tension inthe loop.
 14. A measuring tape as claimed in claim 13, wherein thetension indicator comprises first and second parts linked by resilientbias means for relative movement against bias when the loop is undercircumferential or longitudinal tension, and a visual indicatorresponsive to the extent of said relative movement.
 15. A measuring tapeas claimed in claim 14, wherein the visual indicator comprisesco-operable tension indicia that are brought into mutual alignment bysaid relative movement when the tape is at a predetermined, tension. 16.A measuring tape as claimed in claim 15, wherein tension indiciaassociated with one of said parts of the tension indicator arerelatively movable into alignment with a window, cut-out or indicatingindicia on the other of said parts of the tension indicator.
 17. Ameasuring tape as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first part includes awindow or cut-out and the second portion includes an indicator alignedwith and visible through that window or cut-out when the tape is at thepredetermined tension.
 18. A measuring tape as claimed in claim 17,wherein the indicator is at least partially hidden by the first portionwhen the tape is not at the predetermined tension.
 19. A measuring tapeas claimed in claim 16, wherein the tension indicia is situated on aportion of tape attached to one of said parts of the tension indicator.20. A measuring tape as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first andsecond parts overlap.
 21. A measuring tape as claimed in claim 13,wherein the tension indicator is integral with the fastening.
 22. Amethod for measuring the girth of any part of a user's body, comprisingfastening a loop of tape around the user's body part without supportfrom the user's hands, creating and maintaining a securing tension onthe loop to secure the loop around the body part, permitting expansionof the loop when the user expands his or her body part during saidmeasurement, unfastening the loop while maintaining the loopcircumference, and reading the circumference of the loop after use. 23.A method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising viewing a visualindication of the circumferential or longitudinal tension in the loop.24. A method as claimed in claim 23, further comprising responding tothe visual indication by adjusting the tension in the loop to achieve anindicated predetermined tension.